2025 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury

[whole diary]

[grahame]

16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34

16:43 Frome to Swindon due 17:34 will be terminated at Westbury.
It will no longer call at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham and Swindon.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Additional Information
Two Travel Southwest minibuses have been arranged to run from Westbury at 16:55, calling at Trowbridge (17:07), Melksham (17:20) and arriving Chippenham (17:37) where customers can catch the 17:55 London Paddington service which calls at Swindon at 18:07. Please check the stations Onward Travel Information poster and wait for the replacement road transport at the designated stop.

18:10 Chippenham to Westbury due 18:53
An additional bus service has been planned to operate as shown 18:10 Chippenham to Westbury due 18:53.
Additional Information
Please check the stations Onward Travel Information poster and wait for the coach at the designated stop. There will be two 16 seater minibuses operated by Travel Southwest.

[grahame]

16:23 Westbury to Swindon due 17:06
17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Further Information

If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay

[matth1j]

17:35 Swindon to Westbury due 18:19 will be cancelled.

[bobm]

Now both re-instated.

[matth1j]

Now both re-instated.

[matth1j]

...and the 17:35 Swindon-Westbury left Chippenham on time, but then stopped for about 5 mins somewhere before Thingley, due to a red signal according to the train manager. Wasn't obvious why; I assumed something had got delayed coming from Melksham in the opposite direction on the single track we were waiting to turn into, but nothing came past us. Strange.

[grahame]

...and the 17:35 Swindon-Westbury left Chippenham on time, but then stopped for about 5 mins somewhere before Thingley, due to a red signal according to the train manager. Wasn't obvious why; I assumed something had got delayed coming from Melksham in the opposite direction on the single track we were waiting to turn into, but nothing came past us. Strange.

Nothing obvious on Real Time Trains ... the other possibility that I looked at was the possibility of something ahead of it that had to clear Bradford Junction before you could proceed, but that was NOT showing on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website).

Signalling experts may be able to help me - but I think that the train is passed from Didcot to Westbury sit passes along the line and signallers at both ends have to co-operate to pass trains.  I get the impression that the paths / this is occasionally done very late.

[RA]

...and the 17:35 Swindon-Westbury left Chippenham on time, but then stopped for about 5 mins somewhere before Thingley, due to a red signal according to the train manager. Wasn't obvious why; I assumed something had got delayed coming from Melksham in the opposite direction on the single track we were waiting to turn into, but nothing came past us. Strange.

Nothing obvious on Real Time Trains ... the other possibility that I looked at was the possibility of something ahead of it that had to clear Bradford Junction before you could proceed, but that was NOT showing on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website).

Signalling experts may be able to help me - but I think that the train is passed from Didcot to Westbury sit passes along the line and signallers at both ends have to co-operate to pass trains.  I get the impression that the paths / this is occasionally done very late.

The signaller at Westbury controls the single line through Melksham. In order to route a down train from Thingley Junction towards Bradford Junction, the signaller on the TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about) Swindon workstation has to request the slot from their counterpart at Westbury. If the slot is not requested or given in good time, the Automatic Route Setting will set the route up only as far as the signal before the Thingley crossovers. This is to ensure that the junction is not blocked if there was to be a train coming up from Bradford Junction first.